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Night (or Day) at the Museum: Natural History

by Susan Choi

June 08, 2009

Growing up, I was a tomboy. I used to catch lizards by their tails, salt snails, and kill spiders when they dared invade my space. Even though my girls are little princesses, the one thing they seemed to have inherited from me is my amusement and tolerance for bugs and reptiles. We plant praying mantis pods in our backyard, dig through the dirt to find roly-poly bugs, and the other day, spent a generous portion of an afternoon trying to catch a lizard. So naturally, one of our favorite places to visit in LA is the Natural History Museum because of the Pavilion of Wings exhibition and the Discovery Center.

Butterflies aren't scary, right? Outside the museum is the Pavilion of Wings butterfly exhibit. Try to go when the day isn't hot, otherwise it feels stifling in the pavilion. Also, wear white to increase chances that a butterfly will land on you (if you wish to avoid this possibility, then wear a patterned top and move around constantly). The butterflies fly around the pavilion freely which we think is really cool. Over the course of the summer, over forty different butterfly and moth species will call the pavilion home. Be sure to check it out while the weather is still cool. It will be going away on September 7 to prepare for the spider exhibition.

For the more adventurous, go down to the first level to the Discovery Center. It is a great place to take a preschooler. Everything is at eye-level for them and most of the items/exhibits in this room are touchable. There are puppets, puzzles, storybooks, bones, furs, rocks, minerals, artifacts, and more. There is also an area where children can dig for dinosaur fossils. At 3 pm everyday, there is an animal presentation. In addition to the large collection of live insects, amphibians, and fish, there is also a 12-foot Burmese python and an iguana to visit. More than the dinosaurs and animals of the various continents, my girls love the Discovery Center.

The cafe has delicious food, though a little pricey. Unfortunately you can't bring your own food into the cafe eating area but there is a large grassy area outside the museum. Go with a friend and enjoy!  Read more...

Our Own Very Hungry Caterpillars: Butterly Pavilion

by Susan Choi

March 16, 2009

My younger daughter received a butterfly pavilion for her birthday last spring. We had gone to the Pavilion of Wings Butterfly exhibit at the Natural History Museum just a couple months before so the thought of growing their own butterflies was quite the adventure for my daughters. We sent away for the caterpillars and when we got them in the mail, it was like we had five new members of our family.

The instructions we received were very informative, so we read about how the caterpillars would eat all day for several days. We read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle and the girls wondered if our caterpillars would like to eat lollipops and cake too. When I reminded them that the caterpillar in the book got a bad tummy ache from eating so much junk food, the girls asked if they could eat the lollipops and cake for the caterpillar. I told them that they would probably get tummy aches just like the caterpillar in the book. The girls shrugged their shoulders and turned their attention back to our own very hungry caterpillars.

As the caterpillars ate and ate, we could literally see them double in size. It was amazing! It was a little disgusting too because inside of the jar was their ravaged food, excrement, and gobs of caterpillar web. Then one day, just as the instructions said, the caterpillars made their way to the top of the jar and hung upside down. The caterpillars shook as they formed their cocoons. My girls squealed with delight in anticipation of the miracle that was yet to come.

I carefully moved the paper sheet full of chrysalises to the butterfly pavilion. And we waited, and waited, and waited...I thought the anticipation would put my children into shock. "Are they butterflies yet?" "No." "Are they butterflies today?" "No." Two seconds later, "what about now?" "NO!" I pleaded with the cocoons while my kids were in school. "Please? Today?"

Then one day, it happened. I looked inside of the pavilion and there was a butterfly! It had broken free from the cocoon and was panting in exhaustion. Slowly, one by one, all five had morphed into its final beautiful form. I quickly made the nectar and placed it inside what would be their home for a week.

I became nervous that the butterflies would die while under our watch so after a week of enjoying their beauty, we released them into our backyard. The girls begged me not to, but I reminded them that it was not fair to the little creatures to be locked inside a cage. After careful consideration, the girls agreed to give the butterflies their freedom. We opened the top and the butterflies hesitated a little and flew off into the sky...all except one. She seemed to be happy with her sugar water and plastic daisy. So we decided to keep her for an extra day or two. The girls stuck a myriad of plants inside the pavilion in the hopes of keeping the butterfly content. But on the second attempt to release the butterfly, Cinderella (that is what the girls named the butterfly) finally took off, and lived happily ever after.
 Read more...

5 Gifts that Keeps on Giving

by Susan Choi

December 16, 2008

What do you give to the family that has everything? How can you support local museums and other non-profit family attractions (and get a tax-deduction in the process)? Give the gift of membership this holiday season! Here are some of my favorite museums, where it pays to be a card-carrying member: 1) Natural History Museum --We come here at least a few times a year. My girls love butterfly  Read more...

More of Our Favorite Activities and Things to Do in west la

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Creatures & Critters:
Our Urban Jungle

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Do, Re, Mi! Places to Hear, Sing & Play a Tune

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Artistic Endeavors:
Our Favorite Art Venues

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Room to Run:
Run, Jump & Wiggle Outdoors

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Rainy & Quiet Days:
Cozy & Crazy Indoor Fun

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A Sense of History:
Our City's Stories

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Splash, Spray, Play! Local Spots to Get Wet

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The Most Fun in Life Is Free!

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The Best of... Our Top Can't-Live-Without Spots

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